Commemorative and Collectors Coins
Article 81 of Law 42/1994 of 30 december 
, as amended by Ley 62/2003, of 23 december, defines commemorative and collector coins and authorizes RCM-FNMT their minting and marketing. Then main purpose of these coins is cultural and artistic difussion, as well as events commemoration.
The characteristics of each issue are specified in Ministerial Order, according
to the periodicity, volume, and conditions fixed in the European regulations
(Commission
Recommendation of 29 september 2003 
(101 KB),
Communication
from the Commission on the recommendation of 29 September 2003 concerning
a common practice for changes to the desing of national obverse sides of
euro circulation coins (2003/C 247/03) (82,9 KB).
Coins intended for circulation, which are legal tender in all the euro area
- Circulation coins. The coins that were brought into circulation on 1 January 2002. The designs used for the national obverse sides should not be modified until the end of 2008.
- Commemorative coins. They must comply with the following rules:
- They have a national side different from the usual one. They keep the common side
- The 2-euro coin is the sole denomination to be used,
- The number of issues is limited to one per issuing State, per year.
- The number of coins that can be issued is limited.
- Issues of commemorative euro circulation coins should only commemorate events or personalities of the highest relevance.
- The Commission should be informed, at least six months before the coins are issued.
You can see the commemorative coins, legal tender in all the Euro Area, in the following table:
- Commemorative Coins (130 KB)
- Information in the ECB web site
- The first commemorative euro coin issued in Spain commemorates the IV Centenary of the first edition of Don Quixote (69,6 KB)
Collectors coins not intended for circulation
- Different values from those of the circulation coins.
- Different images depicted both in the common and national side.
- At least, two of the three characteristics (colour, weight, and diameter) must be clearly different from the circulation coins.
- They are usually minted in valuable metals (gold and silver).
- Their legal tender must be limited to the issuing country.
The following table shows the commemorative coins currently marketed by the RCM-FNMT and the entities engaged for this purpose: